Short school holidays are a uniquely English concept – and Ireland should not consider cutting the summer break for secondary schools, according to Jonathan Healy.

A new report in the UK is calling for summer holidays to be cut from six weeks to four, with half-term breaks extended from one week to two.

The report on tackling post-pandemic education inequalities notes the English school calendar has been in place since Victorian times and is deepening education inequality in the country.

Mother and daughter walking on Narin Beach, Portnoo, County Donegal Ireland. Image: Daryl Mulvihill / Alamy

In Ireland, secondary school students currently enjoy three months off over the summer and on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, presenter Jonathan Healy said we should ‘absolutely not’ consider changing it.

“We diverge significantly from our neighbours on this one,” he said.

“For some reason, the English system seems to think that keeping children in school almost as long as people would stay in work is beneficial to their education whereas here, if you speak to teachers, it is the polar opposite.

“If you don’t give young people a break from intense learning and allow them to do other things and to have a break over the summer, it becomes harder to get them back in September – it is more of a slog.”

He said there is “something unique” about the way the British approach school holidays.

“Imagine if you turn around to a 13-year-old who has started secondary school, ‘You have four weeks off, welcome to the rest of your life.’”

School holidays

The length of summer holidays varies significantly across the EU, with students in Denmark, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein and parts of Germany limited to just six weeks.

At the other end of the scale, students in Malta, Latvia and most of Italy have 12 weeks off each summer.

School holidays across Europe. Image: The Organisation of Schooltime in Europe report

Fellow presenter Shane Coleman said he has great memories of long summer holidays – but argued that Ireland’s three months is probably too long.

“For what it is worth I agree with you,” he said. “I think back and I remember that day you get off school and you have three months holidays ahead of you.

“School is kind of drudgery and it is nice to get a long break from it.

“The counterargument to that would be that three months is way too long. Even if you brought it back to two months that would be a good long break – a good long stretch.

“Three months is just excessive.”

Summer travel

Jonathan noted that schools need to squeeze State exams into their summer holidays and it would be logistically difficult to keep schools open while exams are underway.

He said any change would also have a big impact on wider society.

“Can you imagine the scramble for holidays?” he asked. “Can you imagine how costly those flights would be?

“Imagine how expensive flights would be in the months of August if you had everybody trying to take holidays at the same time.

He said he does not think Irish society would welcome the change.